*sigh*

[sleepy]

hi im new here.im really pleased to have stumbled upoon this forum as i was looking for someone to talk to while remaining anoymous. ive had type 1 diabeties for 2 years, and although its an okay condition it can be quite a thorn in the side sometimes, but other diabetics seem to be able to go along with it.

ive gained a considerable amount of weight since ive started taking injections (4 stone if that means anything to anyone). has anyone else had a struggle with their weight???? it makes me particularly anxious because ive recovered from bulimia and thoose feelings of lack of control are coming back

[lgvincent]

I'm showing a stone as being equal to 14 pounds. Is that correct?

[sleepy]

hmmmmm yes something like that *cringe*

[Cinnabon]

Hello sleepy....
It is common for diabetics to gain weight because of the wonderful medication we MUST take (insulin). Once you get into the swing of things, you will be able to balance things out a lil better.

[am1977]

HI and Welcome :hello:

Yes, Diabetes is just wonderful isn't it (:thumpdown: ). Honestly, yes, I've had my share of eating issues...I won't bore everyone with the details, but let's just say that I've gone to all extremes :frown:. I'm just starting to get my act together now, but this is after years and years. Like most everyone else, I gained weight quite quickly on insulin. Now, I'm finially starting to see some progress, but I'm working out like crazy and watching what I eat too. It's a slow process, and it takes patience, but it can be done. I recommend getting into an exercise program and seeing a CDE/dietician. Those things can be very helpful to you.

Good luck!

[dbc]

It will be worth your while to investigate changing your eating habits to substantially reduce the amount of carbs you eat. Fewer carbs = less insulin = less weight gain. Insulin (or rather slightly too much of it) has the unfortunate side effect of promoting weight gain, so the trick is to inject exactly the right amount, which can be difficult to get right.
There's lots of info on this topic in the book "Dr Bernstein's diabetic solution" - you can read excerpts on his web pages.

good luck

[DeusXM]

Actually, the real weight gain issue isn't caused by the insulin per se - it's caused by eating to fit the amount of insulin injected. Insulin does play a role in the promotion of fat storage but it's nowhere near as severe as either Atkins or Bernstein make out.

However it is possible to lose weight with diabetes. It isn't necessarily easy, but it's possible. Basically you'll need to increase your exercise, reduce your food intake and reduce your insulin dosage. This gets tricky because you're having to juggle three variables at the same time. Therefore initially when you do this, you are going to make mistakes and either run too high or too low, but you can eventually figure it out.

You will probably keep some portion of your weight though, no matter what you do. Pre-diagnosis, your body would have been severely dehydrated, and also much lower in fat than would be normal. These are the results of having too high blood sugar. Once treated for this, your body rehydrates and also will restore fat to its correct level.

If you are on a two injection system then you'll want to look at a 4-jab one, because it will give you more flexibility and also eliminate 'feeding your insulin'. If you are also taking any isophane insulins (such as Humalin or Insulatard) then you should also change this to Levemir, which has the lowest fat retention of comparable insulins.

You don't need me to tell you that bulemia is definitely something to be avoided, and especially so with diabetes since the risks are inherantly much greater.